Mica endorses Shuster to chair House Transportation

House Republicans have cleared another hurdle for Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania to be the next chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The current chairman, Rep. John Mica of Florida, has officially dropped his bid to obtain a waiver that would allow him to serve another term. Mica endorsed Shuster in a letter to party leadership on Monday.

Last week, the Republican Steering Committee made it clear that the only waiver being handed out would go to former vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan of Wisconsin who will stay on as chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Mica sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner, R-OH, accepting the Steering Committee’s position on waivers and endorsing Shuster.

“Bill has served in two subcommittee leadership positions and has both the experience and ability to assume this important position for the Conference,” Mica stated.

Bill Shuster holds the congressional seat that his father, Rep. Bud Shuster, R-PA, held from 1973 to 2001. Bud chaired the T&I Committee from 1995 until 2001.

OOIDA, which has about 650 members in Shuster’s district, eyes the change in committee leadership as a new opportunity.